TUESDAY DAILY (WAS NO MONDAY DAILY)

MAQUOKETA HELD A NICE MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM SUNDAY.

IT STARTED AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AT 10:30 WITH MUSIC BY THE MAQUOKETA HIGH SCHOOL BAND (INCLUDING SOME ALUMNI) DIRECTED
FOR FINAL TIME BY KENT CRAWFORD, WHO HAS AFTER 43 YEARS,
RETIRED.

GERALD WEIS, MAQUOKETA AMERICAN LEGION COMMANDER, HONORED
TWO 60-YEAR MEMBERS OF THE POST 75 LEGION.

SEATED IS GERALD FELTES, WHO SERVED IN THE ARMY DURING WORLD WAR II AND STANDING TO RIGHT OF COMMANDER WEIS IS GERALD FRANZEN, ALSO OF MAQUOKETA, WHO WAS IN THE ARMY FOR THE KOREAN CONFLICT.

IOWA SENATOR TOD BOWMAN OF MAQUOKETA GAVE THE MEMORIAL ADDRESS.

AT THE END OF THE PROGRAM, KENT CRAWFORD WAS CALLED UP FRONT
TO ACCEPT A PLAQUE AND GIFT FROM THE VFW AND LEGION FOR HIS
YEARS OF PARTICIPATION IN THE MEMORIAL DAY SERVICE.    AT LEFT IS
CLIF MERRICK, AMERICAN LEGION ADJUTANT AND EMCEE YESTERDAY.

 KENT GOT A LONG,  STANDING OVATION FOR HIS BAND DIRECTOR CAREER

THIS JUST ONE PHOTO OF THE CROWD AT THE CEREMONY YESTERDAY,
WHICH LASTED ABOUT 45 MINUTES WITH SEVERAL SELECTIONS BY THE
BAND.  
THEN MANY WALKED OVER TO MT. HOPE CEMETERY FOR THE CONCLUSION
OF THE PROGRAM.

THE FLAGS SHOW YOU IT WAS A WINDY MORNING.  AFTER A PRAYER BY LEGION CHAPLAIN JOHN SCHMIDT,AND COMMENTS BY MERRICK, IT WAS TIME FOR THE FIRING SQUAD'S SALUTE TO THE NATIONS DEAD.
ATTENTION!   READY, AIM, FIRE!    I HAVE COVERED MOST OF THE CEMETERY PROGRAMS OVER THE YEARS AND FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, THE FIRING
SQUAD RIFLES DID NOT GO OFF.    SOMEONE FORGOT TO PUT THE BULLETS IN THE RIFFLES.     AFTER THE EXPLANTION, NATURALLY A FEW CHUCKLES.
BECAUSE OF THE WIND, THE DISPOSAL OF UNSERVICEABLE AMERICAN FLAGS WAS CALLED OFF, AND THE DISPOSAL WILL BE DONE ON ANOTHER DAY.

A BEAUTIFUL DAY IN MAQUOKETA FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM!
THANKS TO ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING IT ON.    BUT MOST IMPORTANT,
THANKS TO MAQUOKETA'S VETERANS, PAST AND PRESENT.

DENNIS VOY